Grave dangers in police reform bill

Proposals to scrap police authorities and replace them with directly elected police and crime commissioners (PCCs) will be highlighted again today as the police reform and social responsibility bill receives its second reading in the House of Commons. The government, however, seems confused about the changes which introducing PCCs would bring. For example, the policing minister has recently been quoted in a Guardian blog interview saying: "We do not wish to see the politicisation of policing." Yet in the same interview the minister says: "The police have to answer to someone. They will answer to a politician."

We believe the government's proposals to introduce PCCs would result in the dangerous politicisation of policing, and at significant cost to the public. This comes at a time when every penny spent from the policing budget must be justified and not spent on elections. There is no evidence that PCCs would improve the service the public receive, and every reason to reject this proposal.

• We are joining the chorus of voices against government proposals (contained in the police reform and social responsibility bill) to give the director of public prosecutions a power of veto over arrest warrants for war crimes suspects who are visiting the UK. These warrants are issued very rarely by extremely senior district judges in Westminster, and only in response to submissions from victims accompanied by substantial evidence against the suspect. Giving a power of veto to the DPP would risk: political interference by ministers in the arrest of war crimes suspects; delaying proceedings, allowing suspects to escape justice; and would constitute a gross interference with the rights of the victim and the responsibilities of the judiciary.

Ministers and diplomats are already protected by immunity when carrying out their public duties, but this change in the law would risk creating a culture of impunity in the minds of those politicians and military leaders who already treat international law with cavalier disregard. We call on parliamentarians in both houses and of all parties to support international law and reject these proposals.